Los Angeles Lakers head coach JJ Redick praised his team’s defensive adjustments in their 120-108 victory over the Denver Nuggets on Wednesday night.
“I think defensively the only sort of lapse was that second quarter,” Redick said postgame, per Lakers’ media. “We felt like the game tonight was going to come down to our ability to get back and defend in transition and take care of the basketball and keep them off the glass.”
The Lakers (43-25) secured their ninth consecutive home win behind Luka Doncic’s 31 points, nine rebounds, and seven assists. Redick highlighted the importance of limiting Denver’s transition opportunities after the Nuggets (44-26) capitalized on Los Angeles’ eight second-quarter turnovers.
“They ended up with 21 fast-break points, nine offensive rebounds in the first half, and then we cleaned all that stuff up in the second half, which was awesome,” Redick said. “I think [Jarred Vanderbilt] and [Jordan Goodwin] really led that for us.”
Denver played without Nikola Jokic (elbow) and Jamal Murray (ankle) for the second straight game. Aaron Gordon led the Nuggets with 26 points and 11 rebounds, but their defense struggled to contain Los Angeles.
The Lakers erupted for 46 points in the first quarter, with Doncic scoring 21 in the period. By the third quarter, Los Angeles had built a 28-point lead, allowing Redick to rest his starters late in the game.
Redick credited Doncic’s patience against Denver’s defensive schemes, noting how the team took advantage of double teams. “Him starting the game aggressively against the reds forced them into having to double-team him, and the other guys were beneficiaries of that.”
Austin Reaves added 22 points and eight assists, while Dorian Finney-Smith, Gabe Vincent, and Dalton Knecht all finished in double figures. The Lakers shot 50.6% from the field and connected on 16 three-pointers.
Looking ahead, Redick acknowledged the importance of playoff positioning but remained focused on taking things one game at a time. “We would all love to have home-court advantage; it would be nice,” he said. “Our group has been awesome at home so far, but you gotta play the next game.”
